While we were in Poplar Bluff last week, (8 October 2004) we found this article at the library. It is the account of a shooting at Pop's Place in 1934. Very interest! I do remember it.
Chuck McClure
Daily American
Republic January 8, 1934
IRATE QULIN MAN KILLS NEIGHBOR AND ATTEMPTS TO SLAY
2 OTHERS
MELVIN FLOYD SHOT TO DEATH BY ROY CHILDS
Floyd (should have been)
Childs Was Rushed to Jail Here When Feelings Developed in Home Town Over His
Acts.
Emptied His Gun in Attempt to Kill
Victim of Shooting Affray at
Qulin Saturday Night Was Sole Support of big Family.
Bullets
from the gun of a hate crazed bootlegger, Saturday night killed Melvin Floyd, 22
year-old Qulin, Mo., restaurant, employee and sole support of a widowed mother
and 4 brothers and sisters and wounded Marvin "Crip" McClure, 25,(should be 36)
owner of the restaurant in which the shooting occurred. In his frenzy to kill,
Roy Childs, 44, the slayer, fired at Charles Hoyle a bystander, and the snapped
his empty pistol in the face of J.C. Humphreys a cripple, as he rested his
crutches beside the restaurant counter.
Not content with the havoc he
had wrought, Childs went to his home, reloaded his gun, and came back downtown
as he said, "to clean house." Meeting Carl Chapman, he covered him with a
revolver, took away his flashlight and then went to Floyd’s home which he
searched for the victim who already lay dead on the restaurant floor. He then
returned to the restaurant where he was arrested and disarmed by Deputy Sheriff
Herschel Hughlett.
BROUGHT HERE
County officers who
hurried to the scene brought Childs to Poplar Bluff as a crowd of angry citizens
formed, presumably to do him violence.
The actual motive for the
killing of Floyd has not yet been definitely ascertained by officers. Childs,
according to witnesses at a coroner’s inquest held Sunday afternoon: has been
operating a "home brew joint" at his home and has been boarding at the
home of Marie Hopper.
About 4 o’clock Saturday afternoon Floyd went to
Child’s home and purchased two bottles of home brew beer. An argument arose
between the two men over a trivial matter, the exact nature of which officers
could not learn and which was heard only by Marie Hopper. Childs asked Floyd to
leave his house which the latter did without further
trouble.
SHOTS INTO FLOOR
About 7:30 Saturday evening
Childs walked into the McClure restaurant and soft drink parlor, where some half
dozen or more people were seeking service, and where he found Floyd sitting on
the counter. Floyd got up, walked over to Childs and said: "Well, you ordered me
out of your home but you can’t do it here." Childs, according to
witnesses, placed his hand on Floyd’s shoulder and pushed him back. Floyd
started around the end of the counter and Childs fired once with a 32-calibre
pistol, the bullet striking the floor. Floyd, at his point, seized McClure by
the arm and Childs fired twice more, one bullet striking Floyd in the left groin
and the second inflicting a flesh wound in McClure’s right hip. Floyd started
for an adjoining room and Childs shot him again, the bullet striking him front
of the left shoulder blade and penetrating both lungs. He collapsed on the floor
and died in a few moments. Charles Hoyle, prominent Qulin citizen tried to
interfere. "Damn you, too, Charley," cursed Childs as he wheeled around and
fired at Hoyle. The bullet missed. Then turning toward the counter Childs walked
up to J.C. Humphries, a helpless cripple who was leaning against the counter.
"Damn you, don’t you move there." he said and snapped the pistol in Humphries
face. The fact that there were no more bullets in the gun, saved Humphries
life.
RELOADED HIS GUN
According to his own statement mad to
officers and Coroner J. Richard Reynolds who went to the scene of the shooting,
Childs then went to his home.
"I got into it up there and the whole
town is after me, " he told the Hopper woman. "I’m going to reload and go back
and clean house." He suited the action to his words and started back toward the
business district, encountering Chapman on the way and forcibly taking his
flashlight away from him. Going next to Floyd’s home he searched under beds, in
closets and around the house, apparently in the belief that Floyd might still be
living. He then made his way to the restaurant where he was
arrested.
At a coroner’s inquest, held at Qulin at two o’clock
yesterday afternoon, details regarding the killing and the circumstances that
led up to it were brought out. Childs declared that he shot Floyd because the
latter slapped his jaws. Testimony from nine witnesses at the inquest failed to
disclose the fact that Childs had been struck. Childs made no explanation of his
attempt to kill the other men.
McClure received treatment from Dr.
Scott Cook at Qulin. His wound is of a minor nature. Floyd’s body was taken in
charge by Coroner Reynolds and was brought to the Frank Undertaking Company
parlors.
THE JURY
Members of the coroner’s jury,
who were Irvin Waller, foreman, J.R. Nentrup, Arthur Prall, Evert Pierce, Thomas
G. Campbell, and Homer Chapman, returned the following verdict:
"We,
the undersigned coroner’s jurors, find that Melvin Floyd came to his death by
being shot through the left chest by a 32-calibre bullet, the pistol being in
the hands of Roy Childs, the shot being fired by Roy Childs. We, the jurors,
hereby recommend that Roy Childs be held for the murder of Melvin Floyd, without
bond."
Surviving Melvin Floyd are his widowed mother, Maggie Floyd;
seven-year-old twin brothers, Chester and Lester Floyd; a two-year-old brother,
Osie Floyd; a sister, Belle Floyd; 21; a sister, Mrs. Myrtle Grant of Chicago
and a brother, Olliver Floyd of St. Paul, South Carolina. All but the last
two live at home and he was the sole support. Floyd bore an excellent reputation
in Qulin Community and had been in no previous trouble. Feeling over his murder
runs high at Qulin.
Childs has a wife and 12-year-old daughter living
at Kennett. He has records of conviction for liquor law violations at Kennett
and Rector, Arkansas.
Funeral services for Floyd will probably be held
tomorrow afternoon at his Qulin home.
Chuck McClure
The Day Knee Stob and Crip got
shot!
Daily American Republic
The Song---The History of the Ballard